Cookie Policy
This Cookie Policy explains how Connect and Hike uses cookies and similar technologies on our website.
1. Introduction
This Cookie Policy applies to the website of Connect and Hike, accessible at [Your Website URL, e.g., www.connectandhike.com] (the “Website”). It is designed to inform you about our practices regarding cookies and similar technologies that we may use to collect and process information when you visit our Website.
By using our Website, you consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies in accordance with this Cookie Policy. You can manage your cookie preferences as described below.
2. What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the website.
Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you have closed your browser until they expire or you delete them. Session cookies expire when you close your browser.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
We use the following categories of cookies on our Website:
3.1. Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary Cookies)
These cookies are essential for the operation of our Website. They enable you to navigate the Website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas or using interactive elements. Without these cookies, services you have asked for, like remembering items in your wish list or secure account login, cannot be provided.
Examples of Essential Cookies we may use:
- `PHPSESSID`: This is a session cookie that WordPress (our website platform) uses to manage user sessions. It’s essential for logged-in users to stay logged in as they navigate the site.
- `wp-wpml_current_language`: If our site is multilingual, this cookie helps remember your language preference so you see the site in your chosen language.
- `wordpress_logged_in_[hash]`: This cookie is set after login and indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use.
Because these cookies are strictly necessary, you cannot refuse them. However, you can block or delete them by changing your browser settings as described in Section 5 below.
3.2. Analytics Cookies (Performance Cookies)
These cookies collect information about how visitors use our Website, for example, which pages visitors go to most often, how long they spend on each page, and how they navigate through the site. These cookies don’t directly identify you. The information collected is aggregated and used to improve our website’s functionality and user experience.
Examples of Analytics Cookies we may use:
- `_ga`, `_gid`, `_gat`: These are cookies set by Google Analytics. They help us track website traffic, understand user behavior, and measure the effectiveness of our content. For example, `_ga` is used to distinguish users, `_gid` to distinguish users over sessions, and `_gat` to throttle request rate.
- `[Your Analytics Platform Cookie – If you use other analytics tools like Matomo, Adobe Analytics, etc., add examples here with cookie names and descriptions]`: [Description of your other analytics cookie and its purpose].
You can opt-out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You can also manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent tool (if available) or your browser settings as described in Section 5.
3.3. Marketing Cookies (Advertising Cookies)
These cookies are used to track your browsing habits and online behavior to deliver targeted advertisements that are relevant to your interests. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an ad and to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. These cookies are often placed by third-party advertising networks.
Examples of Marketing Cookies we may use:
- `_fbp`: This cookie is set by Facebook Pixel. It helps us deliver our advertisements to people who have visited our website when they are on Facebook or other Facebook advertising platforms, and to measure the performance of our Facebook advertising campaigns.
- `IDE`, `test_cookie`: These are cookies related to Google Ads (DoubleClick). They are used for serving and measuring the relevancy of ads, and to personalize ads across the web. `IDE` is a DoubleClick cookie to register and report the website user’s actions after viewing or clicking one of the advertiser’s ads with the purpose of measuring the efficacy of an ad and to present targeted ads to the user. `test_cookie` checks if the user’s browser supports cookies.
- `[Your Ad Platform Cookie – If you use other ad platforms like Twitter Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc., add examples here with cookie names and descriptions]`: [Description of your other advertising cookie and its purpose].
You can opt-out of personalized advertising from many ad networks through websites like YourAdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance) and Network Advertising Initiative (NAI). You can also manage your cookie preferences through our cookie consent tool (if available) or your browser settings as described in Section 5.
4. How to Manage Cookies
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can manage your cookie preferences in several ways:
4.1. Browser Controls
You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our website though your access to some functionality and areas of our website may be restricted. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser’s help menu for more information.
Here are links to the help pages for some popular web browsers:
4.2. Cookie Consent Tool
When you first visit our website, you are presented with a cookie banner where you can accept or decline non-essential cookies and manage your preferences. You can access and modify your cookie choices at any time by clicking on the “Cookie Preferences” or “Manage Consent” link in the footer of our website.
4.3. Opt-out Tools from Third-Party Providers
As mentioned in Section 3, some third-party providers of analytics and advertising cookies offer their own opt-out mechanisms. Please refer to their respective privacy policies and opt-out pages for more information.
For example, you can learn more about Google Analytics and opt-out options here: Google’s Privacy & Terms and Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
For Facebook Pixel, you can manage your ad preferences directly within your Facebook account settings.
[Add links to opt-out pages for other third-party services you use, if applicable. Consider adding links to Facebook Ad Preferences if you use Facebook Pixel.]
5. Third-Party Cookies
In addition to our own cookies (first-party cookies), we also use third-party cookies on our Website. These cookies are set by domains other than our website. We allow selected third parties, such as analytics providers and advertising networks, to place cookies through our Website to provide us with services. These parties may collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third parties to understand their practices regarding cookies and data collection. Some of the third-party services we may use include Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Google Ads.
[Optional: You could list specific third-party providers with links to their privacy policies for even more transparency.]
6. Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our cookie practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. Please re-visit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.
The date of the latest update to this Cookie Policy is indicated at the end of this policy.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us at: info@connectandhike.com